But he added, "We're going to within reason pursue the remedies we have to collect [the $2 million].... We hope to prove that his cockiness is misplaced."

Even if the state comes up empty-handed, the fact that it convinced a court to hold PW Marketing liable for $2 million should deter other spammers, Dresslar said. He added that the judgment "is going to serve as a template" for cases Lockyer's office plans to bring under a more powerful anti-spam law the state enacted this year.

Spokeswoman Linda Sherry of Consumer Action, a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy and education group, called the case a mixed blessing.

"I think that we need to have a show of force by our law enforcement authorities, but the fact remains that it's very, very difficult to even find who's spamming," she said. The judgment is unlikely to deter maverick spammers, she said, because "these guys are pretty arrogant."

She added, "I think people just have to protect themselves. It's going to be a cold day in hell before we have something to protect us against spam."

The suit accused PW Marketing of sending millions of unsolicited e-mails without providing a valid way for recipients to opt out of the mailings, as required by the 1998 law. The e-mails offered a $39 book with tips on making money by sending spam.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Ian K. Sweedler said he had seen no evidence of spam from PW Marketing for about a year. Williams said he believed Willis was in Guadalajara managing other companies' Internet operations.